The Vampire Pirate
by ScytheWoman
Summary: The story of the ancestors of today's CSIs:  is the pirate really a vampire?  Or is it all just gossip!  Read to find out...!


**The Vampire Pirate**

_Horatio walked into his office to find a small package wrapped in a brown paper bag on his desk with no return address and his name on it. He opened it to find a journal that had belonged to his great-great-great-great-great grandfather who was supposed to be one of the most feared pirates in Florida's history. _

**January 13, 1710**

My wife was killed today by that British fiend, Rick Steller! We were dueling over a drunkards claim that I had argued with the governor's nephew and that my eyes had turned silver when in fact, they are gray, and that half an hour later a ghost shark attacked him by the shore and that's where they found him—or what was left of him. I had said that's impossible, that I didn't known the first thing about that. He would not listen, instead he and his lieutenant tried to forcibly remove me, so I fought back. He pulled his sword out, and I did the same. We fought like that for about an hour, then he knocked the sword from my hand and sliced his sword from just below my left eye to my throat. Then he whipped his sword back to deliver the death blow.

That's when my wife ran from where she had been standing and through herself in the path of the sword, and was impaled on its end. I dropped to my knees and reached for her outstretched hand and she said, "I'm sorry, forgive me."

I said, "There is nothing to forgive. I love you." Then she passed away.

Sergeant Rick watched in silence, then lifted his sword to once again deliver the death blow, but was stopped by Liem Wolfe, his Lieutenant.

"Stop Sergeant, or you will be guilty of double murder," said Liem.

Rick looked at his Lieutenant, then at me and sheathed his sword, and he and his soldiers left.

I vowed vengeance on Rick that day, the only problem was how to get started. I carried my wife into the house to morn, and then, to get my vengeance.

_Horatio stopped reading to get a little breathing room from the emotional words, and then realized he was not alone. He looked up to find Eric Delco looking up at him with a worried look on his face. _

_ "H, are you OK?" he asked. _

_ "Yes, I am. Thank you Eric."_

_ "What's that in your hand?"_

_ "It's my ancestor's journal. Or at least—that's what someone wants me to think. I found this in my mailbox here, and it also makes a mention of a man with a scar on his face from just under his left eye to his throat. That, apparently, is my ancestor," said Horatio, with a grim look on his face._

_ "Well, according to this, they meet a week after some horrible tragedy. Look," said Eric._

_So they proceeded to read the journal that supposedly belonged to Eric's ancestor:_

January 20, 1710

Today, I Delconious have met a sad man, a dangerous man, or at least a man who will be dangerous. Right now he's a broken soul. Earlier today a man came into my herb shop and I noticed his red hair and his height. He was also skinny and he had gray eyes. One of which had a scar from under the eye to his throat.

He looked at me and said, "I found your herbs in my wife's secret room. Did you supply her with these herbs for her spells?"

"Yes, but they were for protection—not anything bad—I assure you. She was a good friend and customer. Where is she?"

He looked at me and said, "She was taken from me by an English dog. I plan on getting my revenge but I don't know how. I thought you might be able to help me."

"I don't know how to help you get your revenge, but I know someone who may know someone who could help you."

So we packed up our supplies and road out to the Hangman's Tavern. I led the way, as he was from Florida and we were now in South Carolina. We road all day until close to sunset, then we hitched our horses to the post and walked in.

The proprietor was a blonde haired woman with blue eyes and the tavern was huge, at least to us. We paused to look around then we walked over the proprietor.

She smiled at us and said, "Welcome to the Hangman's Tavern. What brings you two lads out to the country?"

_Horatio and Delco stopped reading and looked at each other and Delco said, "I wonder who sent these books and why?" _

_ "So you got one too, huh?" said Calleigh, as she walked in with a small journal._

_ "You too?" asked Eric with a worried frown. _

_ "Yes," she said, "it was in my car this morning and is supposed to belong to my great-great-great-great-great grandmother and it mentions a tall red-head and a broad shouldered man walking into the tavern."_

_ "Did the red-head have a scar on his face from just under his left eye to his throat?" asked Horatio._

_ "Yes," said Calleigh, curiously. "How did you guess?"_

_ "Because," said Horatio, "they are our ancestors."_

"_May we hear what your ancestor has to say?" asked Delco._

"_Of course," said Calleigh. She opened the book and began to read aloud…_

**January 20, 1710**

The Hangman's Tavern was busy tonight, but no busier than normal. Then, two men came in: one was a tall broad-shouldered fellow of 35 years, the other man was tall and slender with fiery red hair and gray eyes like clouds in a rain storm. He also had a scar traveling from under his left eye to his throat. They looked wide-eyed around at the tavern. I could tell they were not from the area. I smiled at them as they came over to the bar.

"Hello lads! What brings you two out to the country on this fine evening?" I asked.

They both gave a small smile and the one with the scar said, "We're looking for two rooms for tonight because tomorrow we intend to go looking for the vampire pirate."

Everyone at the tavern stopped talking and looked at them. Some muttered, some looked horrified, and some tried to make a protective sign against the evil eye but were too scared.

"You don't want to do that," said an old man who sat at the table closest to the bar with his friends, all of whom looked weathered, like they were sailors many years ago. They all nodded in silent agreement.

"Why not?" asked the tall broad shouldered man curiously.

"Because they are the most ruthless, vile bunch of scoundrels ever to exist, and they are led by a demon so loathsome that when she sails the sea an eternal storm follows her, and the ruins of the ship she leaves behind sink with a sound like screams," said the old man.

"Ey," said his friend, "we were 35, and both sailing the seas aboard the Bristish ship, called _The Hunter_. We were brave and fearless, willing to challenge all who stood in England's way. But one day we saw a ship, bone-white, with the wood warped in such a way as to show the face of a ghost shark in the bow. (At the mention of a ghost shark, the scarred stranger stiffened and his eyes narrowed in pain.) Dark clouds like the darkest night followed the ship, spreading like a massive wave across the sky until the only things you could see were the two ships and the lightening flashes illuminating them."

"What happened then?" asked the red head.

The answer he gave was chilling: "The crew of that ship boarded our ship, everyone took out there swords but no one made the first move. Then, she was standing on the top of the Crow's nest of her ship. Then she just leapt from her Crow's nest to ours, then to the side of the ship. The battle was fierce. We fought tooth and nail, but we were only a scouting vessel and had only 40 people, most were already weaponless. She had our captain by the throat. 'Surrender and you will be spared!' she said to us all. The captain said, 'Never!' and stabbed her in the heart. She pulled out the dagger, slit his throat, and literally drank his blood. After that, the whole crew was slaughtered like cattle….except for us."

"Why were you two spared?" asked the broad shouldered man.

"She wanted two to tell the tale," he said.

After the sailors told their story, the two men still asked for rooms and if anyone could show them how to find the vampire pirate. They were determined to find the pirate and not afraid of anything that might happen after.

"Come down in the morning and I'll point you in the right direction, " said the proprietor.

"Thank you," they said, and went upstairs.

"I'll take a room as well dear lady," said a voice.

I looked out toward the door and saw a man in a lieutenant's uniform step out of the shadowy corner that he had been sitting in.

"_Hey guys!" shouted Ryan, as he came running into Horatio's office. He stopped short when three guns spun around to greet him and then were quickly put away. _

"_Wolfe, you could have been shot!" yelled Calleigh._

"_Yeah, knock next time," said Delco, irritated._

"_What do you have there Ryan?" said Horatio, knowingly._

_Ryan looked at the packages in his hands, "Oh yes, well before I was almost turned into human Swiss cheese I was going to tell you…I saw Calleigh walk in with a journal. I also wanted to tell you guys I have two of them. One supposedly belongs to my ancestor, the other belongs to Rick Steller's ancestor."_

"_Rick Steller of IA?" asked Delco. "Why would you have his book?"_

"_Because they were left in my locker," said Ryan._

"_Well then," said Horatio. "May we see what your ancestor has to say?" _

"_Yea," said Delco. "We all read ours, so let's hear it."_

_Calleigh said, "They're all connected. But why?"_

"_Let's see," said Ryan with a smile and began to read aloud..._

**January 20, 1710**

My name is Liem Wolfe. I'm a lieutenant in Her Majesty's royal army. I am 30 years old and this is the personal correspondence of my experience with the vampire pirate. I was sitting in my customary corner with my back against the wall watching people come and go. Then a tall, broad shouldered man walked in with an equally tall but skinny man who looked slightly older. I thought nothing of it, then I saw the scar: it was still raw looking; from just under his left eye to his throat. What was he doing here-all the way from his small hometown in Glades Falls, Florida to a tavern in South Carolina?

They walked towards the bartender and asked her for two rooms, and then said they were going to leave tomorrow to look for the vampire pirate. Everyone in the tavern stopped their activities and looked at them. Some muttered, some looked horrified and others-the more drunk or superstitious-tried to make a sign against the evil eye but were too scared.

Then, an old sailor, sitting at a table closest to the bar with his friends said, "You don't wanna do that."

"Why not?" said the young, broad shouldered man curiously?

The old sailor then went onto describe the ruthlessness of how the vampire pirate and her crew attacked the vessel, and how the sight of her ship was like looking at a ghost shark. The man with the scar stiffened and his eyes narrowed in pain, no doubt remembering what Sgt. Steller had accused him of. When the sailor was done the two men still wanted to find her.

When they left to go to their rooms I said, "I will take a room as well my dear

lady." She looked toward the door and I stepped out of the dark corner and walked toward the bar.

She paused for a second then said; "I did not see you there. You are welcome

to pay for a room."

"Ah, yes of course" I said with a strained smile. Then turning serious, I asked her if the stranger with the scar said why he wanted to find the pirates. She said no he hadn't but if she were to guess it's because he wanted revenge.

"Revenge? What makes you think that?" I asked wearily.

She looked at me and said, "His eyes narrowed with such quickness and he turned his head slightly toward the bar and then abruptly back toward the sailors."

"Are you really going to show them the way to find the vampire pirate?" I asked.

"Yes," she said looking at me with annoyance. "She saved my life once and I owe her a favor.

"I see," I said. "When are they going to come down?"

"Dawn tomorrow. If you value your life, don't let her find you."

"Worry not. I don't believe all those stories," I said with a proud smile.

She looked at me and said, "Not all stories are drunken tales." Then she went to tend to a customer. I went up to my room for the night.

The next morning I got up just before sunrise and readied my horse and supplies. By the time I was done the red-headed man and his friend left the tavern at two hours after sunrise. I hid behind a row of trees and listened as the proprietor told them to travel until they found a dirt path that lead into the swamp. And then she handed the scarred one a necklace. I was too far away to see the whole thing, but I did catch a glimpse of a piece of metal in the shape of a human scull, only with the two eye teeth elongated to look like they were six inches longer than normal.

Soon we had traveled two day's journey from the tavern, and reached the beginning of "Native Swamp"; so named because no one could remember the names of the people who lived there.

"Look!" said the broad shouldered man with a shocked expression on his face. Even hidden where I was I could clearly see a human skeleton with a broken neck lightly swinging in the breeze.

"Do you want to continue on?" asked the broad shouldered man.

"Yes, if she can help me get my revenge against Sgt. Steller than I must try. Even if she kills me afterward."

I sat there in the sea-grass, stunned. He had gone mad with grief. I felt numb. This man was going to walk into a death trap with no way out. Then I decided to follow them, and if I could find the pirates hideout I could get word to the sergeant. He would then be able to rid himself of the most ruthless pirates of these waters, and atone for a senseless murder and a ruined life. We traveled on the road we found, then when the sun was straight up in the middle of the sky we noticed it became darker by the second.

The red-headed man said, "We must be getting close it's so dense with tree growth you can't see the sun."

"Yes, we must be careful, pirates don't take kindly to visitors, I'm surprised we have not been found out yet," said the broad shouldered man nervously.

I too was weary. Then, all at once we were surrounded.

"Look what we have here lads," said a man dressed in a green silk shirt and gray pants. With him were others dressed in cotton beaches with little or no color in them to one other man dressed in plum purple dressed from head to toe. Then I heard a pistol being cocked. I turned and there was a tall blonde man dressed in simple clothing looking down at me.

"Get up and throw your weapon on the ground," said the blonde man. I did having no choice. "It appears we have a soldier to guard them."

They all looked at me. The scarred one looked like he recognized me but he said nothing, for which I am grateful.

"_Wow," said Ryan with awe. "I always wanted to know about my ancestor."_

"_It all fits together too neatly," said Calleigh. _

"_Yeah, you're right. Besides, how come none of us had ever heard about them beforehand?" said Eric skeptically. _

"_We should read on and see what else there is," said Horatio. "But first, some lunch. Don't forget IA might be trying to pull a fast one. We need to be alert."_

_ After an hour the crew came back from lunch and continued reading from Ryan's ancestors journal. _

**January 22, 1710**

We were captured by the supposed crew of the vampire pirate, and they revealed my presence to the two men I had followed on foot for the last half-mile into Native Swamp (having released my horse by the skeleton). We were tied together and blindfolded, then forced to walk seven miles deeper into the swamp, then we were told to stop and the blindfolds were removed.

We were in a clearing with old cabins and logs used as seats around an aged fire, and the cook was making dinner.

"Where are we?" asked the broad shouldered man in an awed voice. I saw awed because it was relatively clean and orderly for a pirate.

"You are in my lair," said a short but skinny girl, who looked to be a good five years younger than the man with the broad shoulders. She was clearly English, although colony born. She was dressed in black cotton breaches, a white cotton shirt, and gray boots. She had two machetes, one in each hand, both were bloody.

"Captain! What happened to your neck?" exclaimed the man in the green shirt.

"It's just a scratch."

"Where are Jonathon and Thomas?" asked the blonde haired man, a little curiously.

Their captain looked at all of them and said, "While you were gone, I was challenged, and that's the end of it."

"Captain," said the cook, "you should really get that wound looked at; remember what happened to Captain Laguara…"

She turned to the cook and said, "Yes I do, and he didn't die of a scratch, I disemboweled him. Your concerned is noted, appreciated, but not necessary. I'll be fine by morning."

"Captain," said the man with the gray pants, "we caught these landlubbers two miles from camp. What should we do with them?"

She looked back at us with an amused grin. "I want to know what brought an English lieutenant all the way out here…?"

"That is my business," I said.

"Answer the Captain," growled the man in the green shirt. Then he punched me in the gut.

"Jones!" She said loudly, "That's enough! He's no use to us if he's damaged goods." Then she looked at the redhead and said, "Why are you here? And where did you come from? It's obvious that you're not a local."

The redhead looked at her and said, "I came here from Glade Falls, Florida. I was happy. Then on January 13, my wife was taken from me by his commanding officer when she came between his sword and me." He paused a minute to collect himself, then said, "I found notes for herbs and other things she bought from a local herbalist. I found him and he said he knew someone who could help. So we came to the Hangman's Tavern and the proprietor pointed the way here. We came to the path and then we were captured and brought here."

"Nice story," said the man in purple with a sneer. "But how do we know what you say is true-that it isn't a bluff so we don't kill you?"

"Ask the lieutenant, he was there that day."

The Captain looked at the lieutenant and said, "Well, is it true or is it just a bluff? And mind what you're telling me…."

I looked at her and said, "It's true. Every word of it."

The Captain then looked back towards the redhead and said, "That doesn't explain one little detail: why seek me out?"

"Because," said the redheaded man. "I was told you could help me get my revenge."

"Why should we help?" asked the Captain with an intrigued look on her face.

"I have no reason for you, but the proprietor at the tavern said for me to show you this, and said you would let me talk and then decide." He then took out the necklace and everyone froze except the Captain. She just turned it around and then back to the front.

"It's the vampire necklace," said the man with the blonde hair and simple clothing with a gasp. The eyes on the necklace were made with a blue topaz but suddenly glowed an aqua marine color, then a lava red, then went back to normal.

The Captain gave the necklace back to the scarred one then took one step back and said, "Lock up the English dog and the herbalist, tomorrow we send word we have a lieutenant in the English army as a hostage and tie their hands behind them." She pointed to me as she said this, then she turned to the redhead and said, "I will teach you what I know, as will my best men." This I heard as I was being tied up and led away. "Their names are Jones, (the one in the green shirt and gray pants); Henry, (the tall man in the purple-he bowed deeply then stood upright with a grin on his face); and this is Nicolas (the man in the blonde hair and simple clothing).

"We want to know, though, who the young lieutenants commanding officer?" asked Jones curiously.

Before I lost sight of them I heard him say, "Sgt. Rick Steller." I saw the Captain smile like a great white shark.

"_Can you believe it?" said Eric. "It looks like my ancestor was helping your ancestor get revenge on Steller!"_

"_Indeed it does," said Horatio, grimly. _

"_Hey Horatio, why doesn't Calleigh and your ancestors have any names written down," asked Ryan._

"_I don't know," said Horatio looking at the books. "Let's get this finished though, I think I know what's going on."_

_They opened up Rick's ancestor's journal._

My name is Sergeant Rick Steller and this is my personal correspondence.

**January 27, 1710**

I have just received a letter that says my lieutenant has been captured for a week now, and is being held hostage as protection until we meet a year from now.

I said, "Men, get ready to set sail in for the colony of Charles Town. We go to rescue one of our own and to wipe out the last supernatural threat in the colonies."

The men cheered and made preparations. I took my sword out of it's scabbard and put it down, then went to my cabin and pulled back a false panel and took out an old broad sword that had been blessed by the Queen of England's very own priest. The priest had blessed it for his ancestor in 1616, and it was the only sword in the world that could defeat a supernatural threat. "_We fight to achieve justice," _he whispered to the sword, then put it back. He then said to the men, "We will fight the most vicious foe, but we will have the advantage for they do not expect us for a year. Show quarter to all but the Captain," I said.

I will write no more in this journal until we kill the captain. I pray she goes quietly, for despite my zeal, I still do love her; my daughter.

"_What?" said Ryan in disbelief._

"_That's a twist," said Delco._

"_Indeed," said Horatio. "I think I know where the last journal is."_

_Horatio walked down to the basement and the others followed him, where he took a crowbar and opened a 200 year old trunk that Rick had placed there five years ago, when they had worked together on a grave robbing case. _

"_What is that smell?" said Calleigh, holding her nose._

"_If it is what I think it is, then the journal should be here," said Horatio as he wedged the crowbar into the opening and heaved with a grunt. The lid popped open revealing a well-preserved skeleton, journal, and a note for all the CSIs:_

**To Horatio and his inner circle. I left this trunk and body here because I knew that it would be safe, that she would be safe. If you're here, then that means you got the journals. They really are your ancestors' journals. Please keep reading. As for how I got the journals, well, I'll let her tell you.**

"_Well, should we keep reading?" asked Ryan._

"_We really should get the skeleton underground," said Delco. _

"_I agree," said Calleigh with a grimace. _

"_Let's finish this journal, then find Rick. He's got some explaining to do," said Horatio._

"_One of us has got to get the book," said Ryan. _

"_I will," said Horatio seriously. Then he gently took the journal and began to read:_

I am known as the vampire pirate, however that's only because I have portheria, and must ingest blood every once and awhile. It has been five months since the man with the scar. His friend, Delconious, and the English dog were captured, and then I agreed to tutor the man with the scar in piracy. He has come along quite well.

"And now, how come the English sergeant has not come for us, we sent that letter a month ago?" asked the scarred one, as we were training one day.

I knocked the sword from his hand and put my macromby under his chin. "Do you yield?" I asked.

"Yes," he said in a steely voice.

I looked at him and said, "The reason he hasn't come is because I sent my cousin out to sabotage his ships and she's gifted—she knows how to do it—the only reason she hasn't gotten caught."

"Captain, there's a ship coming along the shore, it's a colonizer," said one of the pirates.

The Captain took on a sour look, "Gather the crew, we pillage now!" she exclaimed.

She turned to me and said, "I had her sabotage the ships to keep them there until a year to the day that you arrived here. Now let's test your skills."

We got on board out ship and sailed to the vessel. They fired on us but missed, and we rammed them then boarded their ship. The ships captain and crew fought gallantly. The red-head was in great form; he had attacked a man who had stabbed one of the pirate's severely. The clouds that had come up during the attack were as black as an ink well and the lightening flashed as brilliantly as light as the sun on the sea in the morning.

All resistance ended when Captain Valoirea (that's me) appeared on the Crow's Nest. I lept from the Crow's Nest on my ship to their Crow's Nest then onto the rail of their ship, and I hopped on out to the deck and looked around and snarled, "Where is your captain?"

Everyone was terrified. All but two: one was a tall blonde haired skinny girl in a green dress, the other was a dark-skinned woman who was next to her, who looked concerned about the wounded men on both sides. As I was taking all this in, Liem shouted, "Look out!"

That's when their Captain came out of the rigging and started to attack me. He swung his sword and I blocked it.

I smashed my weapon against his, over and over again, then knocked it from his hand and said, "Well that was foolish" and pushed him against the mast. "Tie him up," I said.

That's when the first mate tried to run me through, but the red-headed man jumped in front of me and ran him through. I watched as he realized what he had done and he shook like a wet terrier.

Then he said in a shocked voice, "My first kill. I only meant to stop him…"

I nodded grimly and said, "It's your first step. Now let's go."

"You two," I said to the blonde and dark-skinned woman. "Come here."

They walked slowly over, then when they got close enough so nobody could see their faces, the blonde haired woman smiled at me and said, "It's about time you came, I could delay them no longer, they are on they're way."

I looked at her and said, "You did well. Now that you are safe, we leave."

I then looked at the young black woman and said, "Why are you not frightened like everyone else is?"

She said, "I'm a slave of the Captain. I was a slave of a doctor for as long as I can remember until he died and I was sold to the Captain of this vessel."

"Are you capable of acting as a ship's doctor?"

"Yes," she said.

"Then you can either stay here or come be our ship's doctor and be free," I said.

"Do you speak the truth?" she asked, hope in her eyes.

"Yes," I said, evenly.

"Then I will go with you," she said.

"You can't go!" said the Captain. "I own you! Men stop her!" he yelled.

Their ship's lookout said, "She is our Captain's property!" then pulled out his pistol and shot at me.

Everyone gasped, the gasped again, as I evaded the mini musket ball. Then quicker then he could recover I was standing next to him, grabbed his throat and hissed, "You shouldn'ta done that."

Then I took my macromby, slit his throat, and drank him dry.

I then dropped his lifeless husk and said, "Let's go find that sergeant and give him a fight, but first, let's finish this."

And so all the crew but the captain and cook were killed. The passengers, who were mostly women and children, were allowed to leave if they agreed to go back to England when they got to land. They readily agreed. We left and their boat limped to shore, and Henry watched as the passengers departed their crippled vessel and they immediately got on a boat called The Wanderer and left toward the south.

"They dare defy the Captain!" shouted Liem in outrage.

"Easy Liem," I said. "I knew they wouldn't go back, but they're Calico Jack's problem now."

The blonde-haired man said, "Look it's sergeant Steller's boat, The Quest."

We all looked and saw sergeant Steller's ship sailing toward us.

"Mina, what do you see?" I asked my cousin.

She looked at me and said, "Today is the day everything will be decided and you will move on."

I looked at her with a smile and said, "My time will be unforgettable."

"That it will be," Mina said, with sadness in her eyes.

"Don't be sad, save this story to be told for future generations."

"I will," she said.

The English ship then fired on us, blasting a hole in our ship, ten inches from the water mark. Then, he climbed to the top of the rail and said, "Pirates! I am Sergeant Rick Steller of the Queen's Royal Army! Lay down your arms and come quietly."

I looked at the sword in his hand, and recognized it.

"What kind of sword is that?" said the red-headed man in awe.

"That is a broad sword. People, if they were knights, used them for battles. That particular sword has family history for him, and for me."

Thus ensued a bloody battle. Both sides fought bravely. The man with yellow hair took down three soldiers at once, then was stabbed in the shoulder, then turned and slashed the soldier that had stabbed him across the wrists. The lad bled out in five seconds. Liem in the green shirt was fighting their cook when he was stabbed in heart. He yelled like a wounded animal, as he pulled the cutlass out and threw it away. He then stabbed the cook, and they both dropped to the deck. Henry was leaping and spitting as he broke the wrists and arms of the men he fought. Then, he stopped and took two steps back. I looked up to see a light like blue topaz glinting on the sea that directly surrounded the two ships. I realized what the necklace was telling me; that the red-head was the one to take over the crew.

"Everybody step back, I do believe Sergeant Steller is ready to fight."

Everyone else on both sides fell back and formed a circle, weapons ready and waiting.

"Drop your weapons and come quietly!" Steller yelled. "I will grant pardon to all who do so. As for you Vampire Captain, it's the gallows for you!"

"Like that's never happened before," I sneered. We looked at each other across the deck of the ship. No one dared draw our attention for fear of getting killed. The look on Stellar's face was one of sadness, that he really didn't want to do this, but he would anyway. He attacked me first and slashed my leg open and the wound closed immediately. I slashed his arm and he did not even flinch.

We went on like that for 10 minutes, then, when I went for the final stroke, I stopped and said, "Perhaps the real Sergeant Steller would like to come up now."

"How did you know?" he asked sadly, as he led Liem up the stairs to the deck.

"I know because I have studied you, just as you have studied me…father!"

Everyone gasped, and I knew this was a big shock for them.

"_Wow!" said Eric. "She knew and she still fought against him?"_

"_It wasn't him. It was one of his men," said Calleigh._

"_Let's finish it," said Ryan._

We stood there, then I grabbed the man and pulled him to his feet, and made it quick. "Nice try, you almost pulled it off," I said with a hint of appreciation.

"Now what?" said Stellar, "You can't kill me, I'm your father."

"I know, but he can." I turned to the red-head and said, "your time has come."

I stepped aside as I watched Stellar put Liem against a wall then pulled out his regular sword. They fought viciously for as long as I did, then the scarred one stabbed Sergeant Steller in the heart. Stellar's eyes went wide.

He fell to the deck, looked at me and said, "Why? Why did you turn pirate?"

"I looked at him and said, "I found the necklace and saw my destiny. I loved you, but you did try to kill me."

"To save your soul," he said. "Go on finish me," he said weakly.

"There is no need," he said, "but rest in peace my soul if safe."

Steller passed away and was given a burial at sea. I gave the red-headed one last look and said you need a new name for a pirate career. You're going to be called Sturchin Caine. What do you think?"

He smiled and said he like it.

"Good," I said. Then, I turned and said goodbye to my cousin, and goodbye she said.

I turned to the red-head. "The necklace is yours use it well. It will keep you as you are for 30 years. I will be watching. The proprieter at the tavern likes you," I said with a small smile.

"_That was something," said Horatio._

"_Yeah," everyone said._

"_Look a note," said Calleigh. She picked up the note and read it:_

I write this on the night of June 13, 1710. My cousin sent me a letter telling me what will happen after the fight. I know I will shed my mortal coil and become guardian spirit to the man I will call 'Sturchin' and his descendents. My cousin will save this for future generations to read when they are ready, and the necklace will go back to the proprietor at the Hangman's Tavern, and marry her.

"_Wow, so that's why Stellar has them," said Delco._

"_Indeed. Now let's get lunch and find Stellar," said Horatio. _

_As they left Horatio looked back and thought for a second he thought he saw a girl in black cotton breaches, a white shirt, and gray boots smile at him, and raise her broad sword in a salute. _

**THE END**


End file.
